‘Hotel Transylvania 2,’ All-Animated ‘Smurfs’ Movie, and More Set for Sony Animation

While Disney's Animation Studios and Pixar, as well as DreamWorks Animation, continue bulking up their offerings for the coming months (and years), so too are Sony Pictures Animation. Their latest, 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2,' landed in the the top box-office spot opening weekend, but there's plenty more on the horizon for the studio, like 'Hotel Transylvania 2,' an all-animated 'Smurfs' movie and the tentatively titled 'Genndy Tartakovsky’s Can You Imagine?'

One of the more highly anticipated of the new bunch, 'Hotel Transylvania 2' tapped original director Genndy Tartakovsky, according to THR. This guy, who's known for producing and directing episodes of 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars,' is also working on that 'Popeye' movie, which will debut sometime in 2016, in addition to an original creation, the previously mentioned 'Can You Imagine?' The latter is described as a journey into the imagination of a young boy, which sounds oddly like what Pixar has in store with 'Inside Out,' but the concept art (shown below) already makes it seem like a visual spectacle worth keeping an eye on.

Sony Pictures Animation

'Hotel Transylvania 2' is set for release on September 25, 2015, while 'Can You Imagine' has yet to project a debut date. All in all, Tartakovsky has his work cut out for him.

Elsewhere within Sony Pictures Animation is development on the next 'Smurfs' movie, which will not only be an all-animated feature said to be closer in style to original creator Peyo's designs, but will also act as an origin story for the creatures. 'Gnomeo & Juliet' director Kelly Asbury will helm this new installment, and the film is currently set for release on August 14, 2015.